The Laundrywomen
by Tofania
Summary: Aladdin's brief adventure after losing his clothes while once again being chased by the palace guard. (A fic request by tumblr user muse2the9thpower)


p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The feeling of Aladdin's bare feet hitting the ground was exhilarating, and he tried to enjoy the wind hitting his face the best that he could in the dry desert heat. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Get back here!" He heard behind him. "Get back here, you filthy street rat! I swear I'll—" The shouts began to fade as he turned the corner, Abu trailing behind him, darting between women with their shopping baskets balanced on their heads and men jingling their coins in their pockets as they walked. The marketplace was bustling as usual. The scent of exotic spices loomed in the air and the mixture of voices gave a color and life to a place that would be so barren without its people. Aladdin slowed and stopped to catch his breath by a laundry, checking to see if he still had all the fruit that he nabbed from the vendor, cradled in his arms./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Aw, Abu, I think I dropped a few mangos. How much have you got?"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Abu held up empty hands. Aladdin sighed. "Lazy," he muttered under his breath. "Come on, Abu." The monkey jumped on his shoulder and snatched a mango from his. They began making their way toward the slums of Agrabah. "Let's get home quick, Abu, or the sun will spoil the fruit—-"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Hey! You there, thief! em style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"Halt/em!"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"em style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"Shit/em. Abu chattered excitedly. Aladdin turned around, a mango falling out of his arms./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"He spotted the unmistakable red and white of the palace guard uniforms, pushing through people at the end of the street. "Don't even think about running, street rat!" one of them yelled, above the din of the market./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Aladdin looked around frantically. Somewhere to hide, somewhere to hide…oh!/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Abu! In here!" They ducked through the curtains of the laundry, finding themselves in a courtyard filled with clotheslines and washerwomen. The shouts of the palace guards mixed with the launders protests as Aladdin and Abu burst through the clotheslines and buckets, scattering shirts and pants and robes all over the ground in a wet mess./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Hey! Boy!" A woman grabbed Aladdin's shirt and pulled him over. "What are you playing at?" A crash and multiple screams resounded behind them. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Uh, lady, I need to scram—-"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Hey! Alhena, Ula! Come help this guy out!" Two young women rushed over. The crashes sounded closer and washerwomen ran past them, their hands wrinkled and as the guards stormed the courtyard, searching for the thief. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Undress him, girls!"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""What?"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The women began giggling and pulling him away. "Hey, wait!" Aladdin protested, fruit spilling from his arms. Abu jumped off his shoulder and snickered. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""What?" The lady said. "You don't want to get your clothes wet, do you?"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""B-but—-"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""The thief's over here!" A bucket rolled toward them followed by the squelches of the guards feet stomping over wet clothing./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""No time to talk, thief," The lady responded cooly. Alhena and Ula dragged Aladdin past more clotheslines, ducking past guards behind billowing tunics and vests, pants and jackets which cast the sunlight into colorful shapes on the ground. "Here, here!" The girls whispered, leading him to a large washtub, the water filled with suds. "Hide in here!"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The guards ran past, their scabbards unsheathed and their hands balled into fists. One of them spotted the two girls. They were hanging up clothes, a purple vest and a pair of white pants, and monkey was scampering along the clothesline./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Have you ladies seen a young man come through here?" The guard asked frantically. "Shabby-looking, carrying fruit?"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The women shook their heads. Alhena clicked her tongue. "Is that why you've been trashing up the place? We haven't seen any boy here. You better head off before the proprietor sees what you've done."/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The guards glanced at her sheepishly and hurried away. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The two girls turned toward the tub and smiled at each other, giggling./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"It seemed to Aladdin that he had been holding his breath forever. He burst out of the water finally, inhaling a huge breath. Abu leapt out, an angry look on his face as he shook the water from his fur. "Eek?" He turned to Aladdin, who was shivering and running his fingers through his dark, shaggy hair as he emerged from the tub./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Haha, alright, ladies," he said, trying to squint the soap from his eyes. "I'm going to need my clothes back now." He opened his eyes. "Ladies?"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The courtyard was deserted. His clothes were not in sight, and he could hear women giggling in the distance./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Abu! Grab all the fruit!" Aladdin looked around nervously, covering himself with a bucket as Abu scampered about, picking up the dropped mangoes and dates. "Come on!" His feet slapped the wet ground, and he felt the sun already drying his naked back. On the way out he grabbed a washing bat and covered his ass, Abu shrieking behind him./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Aladdin took a deep breath and rushed out onto the busy market street, booking it past the merchants and buyers. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Whoa there, buddy! Do you mind? My daughter doesn't need to see this—-"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Sorry!" He pushed past the man, the teenage girl standing next to him eyeing Aladdin with interest. He blushed furiously and sped up. "Hey, watch out, Abu. Just follow my lead" He grabbed Abu and tossed him onto a man at a spices stand, who began shouting and flailing at the sight of the screeching monkey. While the man was distracted Aladdin snatched his headscarf. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Hey! What do you think you're doing—-"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Did you see what that kid did?"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Shouts filled the air. Aladdin dropped the bucket and the washing bat and wrapped the scarf around himself, running through Agrabah. The sight of the half-naked boy elicited shrieks and protests all around./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Sheesh, at this rate I'll have the guards on me again," Aladdin muttered./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"He quickly ducked into an abandoned building. He would just have to roof jump to the slums where he lived, instead of trying to get through the streets of Agrabah nude. He climbed to the roof and hopped to the next building, building up speed and doing the same to the next. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""This is great, Abu, don't you love that feeling you get when you jump from a high pla—-AHH!" /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The scarf he had messily wrapped around his torso to hide his junk had snagged onto a rough part of the stone building and Aladdin found himself falling, spinning as the scarf unwrapped. He flailed until his hands found the scarf and he held onto it from dear life as he dangled naked from the building./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;""Help!" The scarf was stretched to its limit and he could feel it tearing. "HELP!"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Abu held his head in terror and shrieked. He gripped on the scarf helplessly, incapable of pulling up Aladdin. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Aladdin looked down briefly, seeing how small the people looked from up here. There were already some men and women gathering around looking up curiously at the nude boy hanging off the side of the building./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"em style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"Rrrrrip/em. The tear was growing wider. Aladdin grit his teeth. His heart was beating faster and faster and he was acutely aware of the open air beneath him, his long legs kicking, trying to find a ground that wasn't there. It may have been trivial but he somehow found himself wishing he had already eaten the fruit he stole so that at least everything he had had to go through today would have been worthwhile. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"His fingers found the hole in the fabric and he fell a few more feet as the tear nearly ripped the entire thing apart. He closed his eyes. This was either going to be the end, or it was going to hurt so much he would wish it was. em style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"Here it comes…/em/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"He heard a monkey shrieking below him. em style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box;"Wait, what?/em/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"He opened his eyes. "Abu?" He looked down./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"A group of laundry girls stood below him, carrying a giant washbasin. The lady from earlier stood by them, her hands on her hips and Abu on her shoulder. "Boy!" The lady yelled. "Let go!"/p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"The other girls giggled, their faces rosy as they stared up at Aladdin's body, still wet and shining in the sunlight. "Let go, boy, let go!" they echoed in unison, laughing./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"He laughed. "You brought them, didn't you, Abu?" Abu chattered in response, nodding. /p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 10px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"Aladdin took a deep breath. He released his hand and felt himself weightless, his stomach landing in his chest and his breath gone as he fell. And then he was out of the hot sun and in the cool water./p  
p style="outline: none 0px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"I hope Abu didn't drop my mangoes, he thought. I mean some of this had to have been worthwhile. Right?/p 


End file.
